Medicinal Chemistry

Antidiarrhoeal Activities of Some Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Garba S, Salihu L and Shoge M

The phytochemical screening, extraction and antimicrobial analysis of the crude extracts from the seeds and pods of Acacia nilotica Linn, the roots of Uvaria afzelii Sc and Terminalia avicennioides Guill & Perr were carried out using standard methods. The results of the phytochemical screening showed that the plants contained saponins, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, terpenoids and triterpenoids. The results of the antibacterial screening showed that the ethyl acetate extract of Acacia nilotica Linn exhibited the highest activities against the test microbes with zones of inhibition diameter ranging from 27-32 mm. It was closely followed by the ethyl acetate extract of Terminalia aviccenoides with zones of inhibition diameter ranging from 25-30 mm and finally, the ethyl acetate extract of Uvaria afzelii with zones of inhibition ranging from 24-29 mm. The results of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) showed that the extracts of the plants gave MIC values at a concentration of 800, 700, 600 μg/cm3 against Escherichia coli, Vibro cholerea, Shigella dysentriae and Salmonella enteritidis respectively. The Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) values occur at the same concentration against the same microbes. The results of this study showed that the ethylacetate extract of the seeds and pods of Acacia nilotica was the most active against diarrhoea causing organisms and may be a potential source of a broad spectrum antibiotic for the treatment of diarrhoea.